mGBA vs Delta

mGBA9.4Visit Delta8.3Visit

Higher score mGBA #1 in Game Boy Advance Emulators 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit mGBA

vs

Delta #8 in Game Boy Advance Emulators 8.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit Delta

• mGBA fits best

  Desktop users wanting a complete open-source emulator

• Delta fits best

  Apple users wanting multi-system emulation and sync

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Side by side

Feature	mGBA 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Delta 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.3
Ranking	#1 in Game Boy Advance Emulators	#8 in Game Boy Advance Emulators
Best for	Desktop users wanting a complete open-source emulator	Apple users wanting multi-system emulation and sync
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Mobile, Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	iOS, macOS
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features mGBA 1/5 · Delta 1/5
Save states	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Link multiplayer	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Cheat support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Graphics enhancements	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Open source	✓	✓
Specs
Platform scope	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports Game Boy Advance, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color Emulates peripherals, saves, cheats, scripting, and graphics upscaling Includes map and frame inspection for debugging workflows	Supports GBA plus NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy, DS, and Genesis beta Syncs games, saves, cheats, skins, and mappings through Google Drive or Dropbox Works with Bluetooth, wired, MFi, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo controllers
Cons	No netplay support Official Android and iOS versions are not currently available Link-cable support is partial	Available on iOS and macOS rather than Android or other platforms Genesis and Mega Drive emulation is listed as beta Paid items are patron-benefit purchases rather than conventional software plans
Our verdict	mGBA is a free, open-source emulator for Game Boy Advance, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color software. It is aimed at desktop users on Windows, macOS, and Linux, while also offering homebrew downloads for Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, Wii, and… Read the review →	Delta is a free, open-source emulator for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple silicon Mac, and Apple Vision devices. It is aimed at Apple users who want Game Boy Advance emulation alongside support for NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• mGBA — where it wins

  • Supports Game Boy Advance, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color
  • Emulates peripherals, saves, cheats, scripting, and graphics upscaling
  • Includes map and frame inspection for debugging workflows

  Where it doesn't

  • No netplay support
  • Official Android and iOS versions are not currently available
  • Link-cable support is partial

• Delta — where it wins

  • Supports GBA plus NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy, DS, and Genesis beta
  • Syncs games, saves, cheats, skins, and mappings through Google Drive or Dropbox
  • Works with Bluetooth, wired, MFi, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo controllers

  Where it doesn't

  • Available on iOS and macOS rather than Android or other platforms
  • Genesis and Mega Drive emulation is listed as beta
  • Paid items are patron-benefit purchases rather than conventional software plans

• mGBA9.4/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source desktop emulator with broad emulation and debugging tools.

  Visit mGBAFull verdict →
• Delta8.3/10 · Free plan

  A capable Apple-only emulator for GBA and several other classic systems.

  Visit DeltaFull verdict →